What You Learned (cont.)

To place a shot for a clean and quick kill, you should know how different projectiles—bullets, slugs, shot, broadhead-point arrows, and field-tip arrows—kill game.

The most effective shots are delivered to an animal’s vital organs—heart and lungs. An animal shot in the vital organs will leave a blood trail when attempting to flee, making tracking easier.

The shot angle is the angle at which the animal is standing in relation to the hunter. The different types of shot angles are broadside, quartering-away, straight-on, quartering-forward, and straight-away. Knowing which angles offer the most effective—and the least effective—shots is an important part of making a clean and quick kill.

The best way to approach a downed deer or other large animal is from above and behind the head. Make sure the animal is dead, and then notch your permit. If necessary, attach the permit to the animal.

The growth of bacteria can cause meat to spoil. Heat, moisture, and dirt contribute to bacteria growth. Basic field dressing techniques will help cool game and prevent the growth of bacteria.

Before transporting game in Missouri, you must use the correct deer or turkey permit and notch it immediately after making sure the animal is dead. Then tag and telecheck the animal as required before transporting it to another location.

To prevent the spread of diseases, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, the Missouri Department of Conservation encourages all Missouri hunters, especially deer hunters, to dispose of carcasses from harvested animals properly.